Bloomsday 2010

All my hard training and dedication has paid off as I have successfully transversed the 7.something miles of the Spokane Bloomsday Course. I walked the whole thing with only a couple of short stretches of running. My official time is not in yet but I estimate I did it in two hours and 16 minutes. That includes a stop for a beer along the course. What follows is my pictorial record at each milestone along the way.The completion of the first mile took me about 18 minutes. Beyond the houses in the photo is a long downhill stretch. I tried to run but it was too crowded.I started the tradition of photographing myself at each mile marker a few years ago. This year, it seemed a lot of people were doing it.More people taking pix. At this point, I really had to use the facilities. All the Port-A-Potties had large assemblages of people waiting. Once I was in line and just standing there, the urgency of my need to use the bathroom was overwhelming. I found cover behind a nearby truck and relieved myself. Wasted about two minutes.Felt the urge to go again but managed to wait until just before crossing the Spokane River. Lots of woods and cover.A tough stretch as this is Doomsday Hill. By this point, I was feeling the burn even though I was just walking.Getting anxious to get it over with. By now, I'm an hour and forth-se7en minutes into the race.

Crossed the Se7en Mile mark at 2:08 into the race. By now I have lost another two or three minutes due to a beer stop.

One has to figure out what is important to ones self.

By the time I crossed the Finish Line, I was pretty sore. I met up with Susan at the Onion Bar & Grill and had beers and food.

We went home and sat in the hot tub for a while, and then napped for about three hours. The rest of the day was lost.